In a Dark and Empty Classroom
by ariolfo101
Summary: "In here, Won-Won." Hermione, on her way to her dorm from the library, stopped still in the dark hallway, listening. Suddenly, Ron's voice exploded out of the empty room. "Bloody HELL, Lavender! What are you doing? Get off of me, I said, get OFF of me!" RATED for attempted rape.


_CAUTION! This fic is rated T for a reason! This concerns a detailed description of attempted rape. You have been warned. If you think the rating should be pushed to M, let me know in your review. -Ariolfo_

"Stupid, stuck up, selfish git." Hermione was making her way back to the girl's dorm after an unsatisfactory stint in the library. The full moon shone brightly across the dark corridors, which were empty at this time of night. It was eerily beautiful, but Hermione took no note of this. She had spent the last few hours digging through the Hogwarts library looking for a book on Arithmancy, and had been unable to find it. After upending the whole place, she felt guilty leaving her beloved sanctuary in that condition, and had spent the next two hours setting it to rights. Now it was past midnight, she had two exams tomorrow, and was not happy about having to deal with Ron and his girlfriend at breakfast next morning.

"Oh, Won-Won!" crooned a voice, followed by what was unmistakably vigorous lip-smacking. Hermione froze.

"Lavender," Ron's voice sounded tired, whether from the late hour or Lavender's overzealous attentions, Hermione could not tell. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"Oh, Won-Won, how sly of you to suggest such a thing!" Lavender giggled. "Which bed do you suggest?"

Hermione scowled and crept closer to the empty classroom from which the voices emanated.

"Your bed?" Ron sounded confused and fed up. "Look, Lavender, I came down here to check up on a friend. It was nice to snog you and all, but I really have to get going."

"Oh, but Won-Won." The moonlight shone bright upon the girl's blond hair as she sidled closer to the red-head. "Don't you know what today is?"

"Tuesday?" Ron's face was looking more exasperated and confused. "No, it's probably one-o'clock. So, Wednesday? Why does it matter?"

"It's my birthday, Won-Won. I'm of age. And you know what that means." Ron opened his mouth to say more, but was silenced by Lavender's tongue. The sounds of passionate snogging echoed across the hall. Hermione ripped her face away from the door, leaning heavily against the corridor wall.

She should stop them, she thought, madly wiping away her tears. She should barge in and arouse the hue and cry, get them both detentions for improper conduct and being out after curfew. Or maybe she should wait until most of their clothes were off, have them deal with the humiliation of being caught starkers by a bunch of teachers. They would probably get more detention for being naked. Ron naked, with Lavender…

The world was blurry. Was the floor vibrating? It took a few more swipes to the eyes for Hermione to realize it was her knees. She wanted to retch. She wanted to collapse on the floor and shake and cry and retch and retch until this nightmare went away. The idea on seeing them together again was insurmountable. Hermione wanted to run, to hide in her bed forever, to find Luna, or Harry, or Ginny and just cry and cry and not have to explain. She gripped her books with shaking hands and started down the hallway. She needed to get away She needed to get away. She needed to get _away from here, Oh Merlin, anywhere but here…_

"BLOODY HELL!"

The expletive rang in the air.

"What the _hell_ was that?!"

"What's wrong?" Lavender questioned.

"What's wrong? I'll bloody well tell you what's wrong. What's wrong is you stuck your bleedin' hand down my bloody trousers, that's what's wrong. When did I ever tell you…"

"Oh, don't worry, Won-Won. I know you must be frustrated after waiting so long, but I know just how to satisfy my man…"

"Look, I don't _want_ to be satisfied, or whatever you call it. I need to go find my friend, and then I'm going up to bed to sleep. MY bed! To sleep! Just sleep! So, let me go and…"

Ron was going to leave the room. Part of Hermione's heart leapt at the thought. Ron leaving that room, Ron leaving that room, Ron leaving Lavender, Ron one day walking into her arms, saying "It's you, Hermione. It's always been you." The other part was aware that Ron walking out of the room would see her, followed by Lavender who would see her. There would be an awful row, and Hermione didn't particularly feel up to a verbal fight with Ron, who was probably only leaving Lavender because he was tired and wanted to go to bed. With this in mind, Hermione sped forward with the idea of putting as much distance between her and the couple and making it to her room where she could collapse and recover herself. She was already halfway down the corridor, the sound of the argument swelling behind her when she heard something that made her blood freeze.

"_INCARCEROUS!"_

The binding charm. That was not Ron's voice.

Hermione whirled back, feet flying faster. Ron's voice, Ron's voice twisted sharper and higher with every word.

"What the hell, Lavender, no!"

"Come on, Ron!"

"I said NO! Get off of me!"

"Are you a man, or is there something wrong with you?"

"Stop touching me! Get off!"

"I'm just trying to make you feel good."

"I don't want you to get me off! I want you to GET OFF OF ME!"

"But Won-…" Hermione barged through the door, finding a tethered and red-faced Ron on the floor, the blonde sitting on him, pinning him down. Lavender next words were silenced by a book to the back to the head. Grabbing a fist-full of blonde hair, Hermione yanked the girl forcibly off her friend. Lavender crashed to the floor.

"HE SAID NO! THAT MEANS NO!"

The blonde started to her feet, but Hermione brandished her wand.

"Get out! OUT!" Hermione was so angry she could not think of a hex to say. The girl bolted down out of the door and down the hallway. Heaving with fury, Hermione turned to Ron.

He had been tied too tightly by the magic ropes. The bonds were cutting into his flesh. His shabby maroon pyjamas had torn under Lavender's hands and his pale skin glowed white in the moonlight. He was trying to cover his indecency with his bound hands and even in the darkness, Hermione could see his ears burning.

She whipped off her school robe and wrapped him in it, then muttered the counterspell, sending the ropes falling to the floor.

"Ron?" He was shaking. Hermione sat down next to him gingerly, laying her hands lightly on his arm. "Ron? Are you hurt? Did she get you? Ron?" His eyes seemed far away, unresponsive.

"Ron, it's me, Hermione. I'm not going to hurt you. I want to help." Ron curled up tighter.

"Please, Ron." She pleaded. "It's Hermione." Suddenly, Ron snapped. Crushing himself into her side, he began to shake uncontrollably. She hugged him closer to her as he clutched the robe tightly around himself. Hermione didn't know how long they spent like that, him cradled in her grasp, her running her fingers through his hair and murmuring comforting words into his ear.

"My wand's in my room." His voice was thick and hoarse. "I left it on my bedside table. My wand's in my room. Came down. Was lookin' for you. You didn't come back, so I was lookin' fer you. And she came and she said… And I didn't want to, I know, I'm a _bloke_, I _should_ have wanted to, but I didn't…And she started touching and she wouldn't stop and then she tied me, and I couldn't… I told her to get off and she wouldn't get off, _she wouldn't get off of me_…"

Ron sobbed then choked. "She wouldn't get off of me…"

"It's going to be alright, Ron." Hermione's fingers tightened in his hair. Her voice sounded so calm. It couldn't belong to her. No one filled with this much rage could possibly sound so calm. "We're going to go down to the hospital wing and have Madame Pomfrey look at you. And then we're going to go to Professor McGonagall and she'll launch an investigation and…"

"NO!" Ron clutched her tighter. "No. I don't want to see nobody. Don't tell nobody, don't tell Harry, the twins. Promise me, 'Mione, that you won't tell nobody. Promise me."

"Ron, we can't let her get away with this! This is rape, Ron! This is a crime! You have to report this, you have to…"

"Promise me, you won't tell anybody."

A million words rose to Hermione's lips, but only two came out.

"I promise."

She walked him up to his bed that night. The way he was clutching onto her cloak for dear life, she didn't have the heart to take it from him. She would buy another robe. Tucking him into bed, she gently coaxed a calming potion down his throat. The room was silent. Harry was asleep, glasses askew.

Hermione sat by him until his eyes closed, then quietly stood.

"I hope you'll tell someone, one day. This wasn't your fault. There is nothing wrong with you. This does not make you underserving of love. Because I love you, Ron Weasley. I truly do."

She reached down and pulled the blankets higher. "Goodnight, Ron."

And with that, she made her way to the girl's dorm.

oOo

_Author's Note: _

_This is a very dark fic, to put it lightly, and deals with a very real problem. I decided to use these fictional characters to illustrate this problem. NO means NO. Men can be raped. People who are raped are often silent because they feel ashamed. This fic was not intended to offend people or push a political agenda. This was written to tell a powerful story that relates to real life. If you have any questions, comments, issues or suggestions, feel free to review._

_PS: I don't hate Lavender or anything, and I don't think Ron is weak. This is just how I wrote the story._

_PLEASE REVIEW!_


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